Los Angeles c. 1955 - 1956

This is a photograph of Los Angeles by Robert Frank, and the first thing I notice are the textural contrasts—smooth to rough, light to dark. It feels like he might have been wandering around, looking up, feeling the weight of the city, maybe a little lost, definitely drawn to the play of light. I wonder what he was thinking when he decided to include that arrow in the composition; was he lost? Giving us directions? Does it have something to do with Hollywood? The surface feels raw and unedited. The photo's grays and blacks convey a certain moodiness, like a quiet, contemplative moment amidst urban chaos. It reminds me of other photographers and filmmakers who were capturing slices of life and exploring the beauty in the everyday, like Helen Levitt or Garry Winogrand. Artists, we're all just riffing off each other, passing ideas back and forth through time. It's a constant conversation.